Heart (Skipped A) Beat
by Respice finem excors
Summary: The Scoobies of San Francisco need a break, and they seek it by way of relaxing at a downtown club together, dancing the night away. *(Canon one-shot. Takes place in the continuation comics, after Season 10 issues #16-18 - the Angel crossover trilogy.)* -Edited typos and some tenses, 12-21-2015-


-Story Notes: Rated PG-13 for a minor sexual description, but there's not any actual detailed 'sex' scene. Though dancing in itself can be 'sexy'... ;) While the description says Season 10, there are very minor flashbacks to Seasons 5,6,& 7 too.

 _(This indicates both the lyrics and song beats) Plain italics indicate flashbacks._

-First section with the Scoobies I was listening to "Intro" by The Xx on a loop. The second section is "Heart Skipped A beat" by The Xx also on a loop. You can pretty much listen to either on loop while reading this to feel the music in the club.

-Edited typos and some tenses, 12-21-2015-

* * *

 **Heart (Skipped A) Beat**

Its been over a week since their battle against the ancient Vampire Lord Archaeus, and Angel's subsequent short visit from London to help fight. Angel's visit brought its own set of awkwardness, because Buffy and Spike got back together only two days previous. Though thankfully Angel departed on friendly enough terms. The battle itself left some sore and tired. The Scoobies agreed after all their post-research and recovery that it was time to stretch their aching and stiff muscles.

Downtown San Francisco has a fair selection of clubs and bars. Some either by the waterfront, or winding through the hills of the city.

The one they chose was more posh than the Bronze ever was, but it held about the same size crowd. It had plush rounded booths lining the walls for large groups, and tables sporadically throughout, and a full bar to the right of the entrance and a stage opposite. Its dancefloor at the base of the stage was double the length of the old Bronze. This night it was just crowded enough to be entertaining, but not too much that it discouraged dancing on the floor.

They dressed well for the occasion, putting on their best clothes that wasn't regulated to durability in fighting. Even Spike had forgone his coat for a black silk polo and pants with silver jewelry. Except he drew the line at his grunge boots - he considered them too comfortable to not use them. Though much of their Sunnydale clothes were gone, they all managed to own at least one set of nice club wear.

At their selected booth, and after their drinks arrived, the Scoobies all settle in. All except Giles, who by all appearances, was only twelve, and therefore could not join in. Though, given his history, he really wouldn't have come anyway.

So the old gang all sat at their plush rounded booth in the back. Xander and Willow discussing some new show on TV, and Dawn, Buffy and Spike discussing Dawns college life. Through their discussion, Spike lounged back with his arm wrapped over Buffy's shoulder behind her seat, his hand resting on her opposite shoulder.

Their relationship was still new. Well, new by that it was now public and tender, instead of their unhealthy secret one back in Sunnydale, or the sort-of non-relationship while they dealt with the First Evil before the Sunnydale collapse.

For an hour, all the Scoobies - except Spike who held the table down - danced as friends should; carefree. At times Spike was joined back at the table to rest and chat. By the second round of drinks, the group all sat back and just idly crowd watched.

Dawn saw a couple dancing off to the side of the dancefloor and covertly glanced at Xander, but didn't say anything. Looking to her other side, she watched her sister and Spike leaning in close together, their body language intimate, their words inaudible from the club noise.

Dawn leaned in their direction, "Hey you two," she had to speak just under shouting to be heard. Both looked over at her, though didn't seem disturbed by her interruption, "Why don't you go out and boogie? We can watch the table this time."

"I only either rock out in a concert, or I dance with a partner. I do not _boogie_." He ended that with one eyebrow raised in exaggeration.

"Whatever. Well, go on then, why don't you get out there and _dance_ with Buffy?"

He glanced at Buffy to see what she thought of the idea, and she offered a tentative smile. He realized she thought he was going to turn down dancing for one reason or another. He pursed his lips in thought, his gaze momentarily to the sky before reaching to grab his whisky on the rocks and lifted it up in a toast. He waited a beat for the others to raise theirs.

"Dance to the memories.

Dance to the beat.

Dance to the future,

That's just out of reach."

After the customary round of sips, Dawn looks at Spike, "That was neat. Who said that?"

"I did. Just now."

"No, really."

"Really." He offered her crooked smirk. He felt a hand touch his leg, and looked at Buffy.

Buffy gives him a look and then glances at the dancefloor, and he responds with a barely perceptible nod and soft smile. She takes his hand and they get up. A new song, perfectly timed, begins.

Xander turns to Willow, his head tilted to indicate the departing couple. "Do you want to dance?"

"Nah. This is their song. I'll let them take it."

"Oh?" His brow raised in curiosity, "You know this song?"

"Yeah. I've heard it before." A barely there smile curved her lips as her gaze goes unfocused into her own memories.

* * *

The song only just starts as they stand to dance. It felt tantric, with a heavy beat of a bass drum and 'clap-clap' in imitation of a heart off center. Chords of an electronic piano and guitar begin the softer notes, like water and air dancing.

They walk down between the tables to the dance floor, weaving between the foot traffic with Buffy leading the way. Swaying her hips to every step in an exaggeration, creating a figure eight swishing side to side in her knee length, shimmery blue dress.

Spike follows like a man enchanted.

When the lyrics start, the leading male sounds sad:

( _Please don't say we're done_ _  
When I'm not finished…)_

One of her hands slides from his wrist to gently clasp his fingers in a pulling gesture to the dancefloor.

The male voice continued:

 _(I could give so much more_ _  
Make you feel like never before…)_

They weave and stop for a second to avoid running into others. Another couple almost cut her off, but Spike grips her hands to keep her still. He mirrors the grin she tosses him. _  
(Welcome, they said welcome to the floor)_

Before they continue, Buffy sneaks in a quick peck at his jawline.

The female voice of the song picks up after her partner:

 _(It's been a while_ _  
And you've found someone better  
But I've been waiting too long to give this up…)_

Spike indicates they were clear to walk to the dancefloor. They almost make it until a drunk male stumbles into them both. Acting quickly, Spike wraps his arms around her and tugs her to the side. Buffy's gaze follows the drunk for a moment before wordlessly looking to Spike. _  
(The more I see I understand  
But sometimes I still need you)_

Buffy gently pulls out of his embrace and turns to face him as she takes a step backwards.

 _(Sometimes, I still need you)_ Her backwards walk all the more graceful for how she unerringly made it without interruption. _(Sometimes, I still need you)_ He indicates the central part of the floor by tugging her to stop. _(Sometimes, I still need you)_ He pauses mere inches from her body, which hadn't stopped the twisting of her hips, only lessening the movement. _(Sometimes, I still need you)_ Her soft undulations were like a snake charmer, her eyes never leaving his. _(Sometimes, I still need you)_ Without knowing when it started, he mimicks her hip movement in parallel; Eyes half-lidded, Hands reaching up. _(Sometimes, I still need you)_ When her left hand raises at shoulder height, he brings his right hand up to match. _(Sometimes, I still need you)_ The instant their hands touch, the memory from years back flashes forth.

 _Two hands bound in fire. Clenched and dirty. Earth rumbling beneath. A cave being devoured by light and tumbling boulders._

 _Eyes held each other for a moment._

 _Shared words; One told the truth, another told a lie…_

 _(Bmp. Bmp-Dmp. Bmp.)_

Breaking from the memory only gives them pause for a heartbeat.

 _(Bmp-Dmp, Bmp-dmp-dmp. Bmp.)_

From an unspoken signal, they step chest to chest. Their arms wrap in a loose enough embrace to allow movement, but tight enough to express their shared grief. Their heads closing the gap; His temple resting against her forehead.

They sway, hip to hip. His hand rests at her waist. Her hand rests at the back of his shoulder blade.

Her hands then wander up, and pulls his head down.

They share a kiss, and another flashback happens.

 _He's bruised and tired after taking a beating from a hell goddess. He hears his door open followed by light, quick, and precise footsteps that stop at his prone side. She expresses concern at his pain as he sits up. There's a moment of quiet as she studies him. Then, she leans forward and gently places a kiss of benevolence and gratefulness upon his lips. He barely presses back, careful of his wounded lips, but glad that he got his-_

 _He pulls back in surprise when he realizes it's really her, not her doppelganger._

 _(Bmp. Bmp-Dmp. Bmp.)_

Buffy caresses the back of his head.

 _(And I was struggling to get in_ _  
Left waiting outside your door…_

He pulls back from his dance partner, this time surprised at her smiling gaze.

 _(I was sure_ _  
You'd give me more)_

 _(Bmp-Dmp, Bmp-dmp-dmp. Bmp.)_

Her green eyes sparks reflections back from the flashing dance lights, though he believes they're all shining from within. One of his hands reaches up to caress a curled tendril of hair back behind her ear.

 _(No need to come to me_ _  
When I can make it all the way to you…)_

He rests his forehead against hers as they share breaths. Both of his hands move to cradle her head.

 _(You made it clear_ _  
You weren't near…)_

Hers eyes close and inhale his leather and spiced cologne, and she notices a lack of cigarette smell. Thinking about it, she realizes he had been smoking less lately. Without the heavy scent of tobacco, she leans in and takes another longer inhale.

 _(Near enough for me)_

He notices and looks at her, one brow arches and crooks a smirk at her scenting him. She returns the smirk in answer, her eyes telling him how pleased she feels. He sweeps both thumbs across her cheeks and drops his hands back to her waist. Their two-step becoming more sweeping across the floor. Her hands coming up to clasp behind his neck.

 _(Bmp. Bmp-Dmp. Bmp.)_

The Male and female singers from then on sing together:

 _(Heart skipped a beat…)_ He dives down as she leans up to meet in a searing kiss. _(And when I caught it, You were out of reach…)_ The burning emotions running on high from wandering fingers to dancing toes. She pulls back as his hands drift from her waist to her back. _(But I'm sure, I'm sure…)_ The heat of the dancefloor making her lightly perspire. The slight sheen making her shin glow in the multicolored lights. _(You've heard it before_ _)_ One of her hands went to rest on his shoulder, and with the help of his hands at her waist, she indicates leaning back for him to dip her in-between a timed step.

 _(Heart skipped a beat…)_

As he dips her back while supporting her, he leans forward and brushes his nose from her collarbone down between her breasts all in one smooth motion. When he completes his trek, he pulled her back up and in an unconscious signal, spins her out once.

 _(_ _And when I caught it_

 _You were out of reach…)_

Then on her return to his arms, she spins back to be caught with her back touching his chest.

 _(_ _But I'm sure, I'm sure…)_

The hand that spun her held on and goes into a hug across her torso, his other hand went to resting on her hip. His grip loose to allow her movement, as he picked up her beat and mirrors her from behind. _  
(You've heard it before)_

They continue their side-to-side slow dance, but now she adds in more hip twisting. The brushing of her bottom against his sensitized front making him twitch in tiny movements in random places. His restraint keeping him from grabbing her hips to a grind in front of everybody. But his spasmodic clenching of his fingers had her looking over her shoulder into his eyes and gives him a small sad smirk at another memory.

 _They were in another club in another town, standing on the balcony and in the shadows._

 _She felt him approach from behind, his whispered words daring and dark. His fingers skimming up her thighs even more so. His grip on her hips enough to steady her and her trembling knees as her took her from behind. Their gasps and groans drowned out by pounding music and oblivious crowd below. A glance from her friends below in view would be all it would take-_

 _(Bmp. Bmp-Dmp. Bmp.)_

 _(Heart skipped a beat…)_

He leans down to nip at where her shoulder meets her neck. She tenses and shivers as her eyes close. Their steps still shuffling, her back to his front, his one-arm hug pulling her in...  
 _(And when I caught it  
You were out of reach…)_

He releases her to turn and face him. They pick up their beat to match the song. Their steps wider and deeper as they stare into the others eyes. ( _But I'm sure, I'm sure…)_ He goes for a classic hold; one pair of hands clasped, while his other hand rests at her waist, and hers on his shoulder. _(You've heard it before)_

For several beats they hold an almost-classical waltz, though they seem freer in their movements in regards to the other dancers on the floor. And due to their hyper-reflexes, they're able to change direction on a dime without missing the beat. The wild abandon was fun, a complete opposite of their past weeks.

They spin together three times, making her knee-length dress swirl. Her giggle causes a toothy grin of his own. His kisses trails from her ear down her neck. Little sparks of energy zips down from the kisses to her fingers and toes. She returns a nip at his throat which causes a growl she feels more than hears.

Moments like these are a blessing compared to what they almost lost the previous week against the Demon Vampire Lord…

 _She heard a clang of metal and turned to see he had dropped his sword and was gripping his vampire face in agony. His warning was only a second before he lunged at her. The Vampire Lord held him in thrall against his allies. She fought half-heartedly against someone she lo-...cares for._

 _Against the warnings of her friends, she dropped her weapon to appear non-threatening. To release him of the thrall, she had her faith in him, and her trust that he could break free from his own memories._

 _He lunged for her throat and stopped a hairsbreadth from her neck, but she held firm in her trust. It was a near thing, and her-_

 _(Heart skipped a beat)_

His kisses travel from her shoulder back to her mouth.  
 _(And when I caught it_  
 _You were out of reach…)_

She pulls him closer and holds onto him tightly, and he returns the fervor.

 _(But I'm sure, I'm sure…)_

The nearness forces them to stop moving and stand among all the other dancing bodies. _  
(You've heard it before)_

The song ends on a long base beat as it vibrates into silence.

Spike pulls back to bring his lips to her ear, "The song may be over, but we can keep dancing." He whispers seductively.

She whispers back, "We never stopped."

Spike takes a gentlemantly step back and bows as he kisses her hand. They return to their friends with an arm winding them together and hips brushing for every step.

They night grows old and after dancing a few more with the others, the group all head home together.

Buffy and Spike retire to his room and continued dancing long until the earlier hours of the next day.

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

Full Disclaimer: This was a challenge to myself to take on my least favorite catergory: Songfics, and turn it into something I'm okay reading. I don't usually like the copy-paste song lyrics in stories. I am not a musician or that attached to the music scene, therefore when I see lyrics in a story, I mostly skip over them because I don't know 90% of the songs writers use, and if they provide a link...I'm just not going to bother. I just don't _feel_ what they're trying to tell me with the 'music' only they can hear...

So here was my attempt at incorporating a song into a story to the point where they're carrying each other. At least, it was my attempt at it. The format might be hard to follow, but I tried to 'paint' the scene so you can _'hear'_ the music.

Also, Spike's toast was written by me, inspired while writing this oneshot. It's a wonderfully _tragic_ rhyme.

 _Dance to the memories._

 _Dance to the beat._

 _Dance to the future,_

 _That's just out of reach_

 _-Respice Finem_


End file.
